National Swim School - Hall of Fame

Francis Lieber established the first swim school in America in 1827. In
1726 Benjamin Franklin had contemplated starting a swim school business but was
engaged in pursuit of a printing business (and a few years afterward in founding
a country) so he opted instead for teaching and writing about teaching and
learning techniques for swimming. These individuals and others are listed
below.

From time to time NSSA selects and inducts additional persons to this Hall of
Fame - for their contribution to swimming schools and the swim school name.

Hope you find these profiles interesting and gain some additional pride
knowing a little more about outstanding swim school people that have gone
before.

(We are working on adding pictures - please check back
later)

Greta Andersen – Greta Andersen
operated her swim school in Southern California from 1960 through 1980.
She inspired numerous teachers to open their own swimming schools and was
among the first in the United States to teach survival back floating
technique to students. A graduate of University of Copenhagen., Andersen
was a very accomplished swimmer winning the 100 meter freestyle Olympic
gold medal in world record time in 1948. She set 72 Amateur swimming
records during her career followed by 18 world records as a marathon
swimmer including swimming the English Channel five times. photo
from ISHOF

Murray Callan – Murray Callan was a
sports enthusiast before and after serving in World War II. He played
baseball and football graduating from San Diego State in 1950. He followed
with a successful teaching and coaching career in the public schools for
30 years (20 of which he also taught at La Jolla Country Club during the
summer). He and wife Joan constructed a school in the Pacific Beach area
in the 1970’s. Callan built his reputation emphasizing a soft touch and
relaxing style of instruction plus 95° crystal clear water and an
imaginative pool design. Teaching babies and young children was his
specialty.

Benjamin Franklin– Benjamin Franklin was not only one of our founding fathers, but
also the "founding father of American swim schools." Born in
Boston, Franklin was an accomplished swimmer and swim teacher. He studied
swim strokes of the time and invented many of his own. Franklin wrote a
"treatise on swimming" that was considered the practical,
safe, and working method for swimming even 50 years after his death. He
taught and swam recreationally even into his late seventies.

Bee Hallet – Bee Hallet, a
University of Michigan graduate, operated Green Frog Swim School during
the late 1960’s through 1992. During the same time she taught in the
Physical Education Department at Central Michigan University. Hallett
served as Chairman of the Aquatics Council for AAPHERD, a national
collegiate organization. In 1981 she conducted swimming research on
infants and toddlers. She served as President of the United States
Swimming Foundation organizing three national conferences for learn to
swim professionals operating aquatic programs for young children.

Phill Hansel –
Phill Hansel was a leading swim school owner operating from the mid-1950’s
through the early 1990’s in Houston, Texas. Hansel served as the first
secretary-treasurer and president of the American Swimming Coaches
Association and head swimming coach at the University of Houston. The Phill
Hansel Swimming Academy was famous and a model for other coaches who
were also interested in swim school operation. Many of the former Hansel
teachers have gone on to become NSSA swim school owners.

Kris Kristenson – Kris Kristenson
taught school in the Los Angeles area after graduating from Occidental
College and serving in World War II. In 1950 he fulfilled a long time
dream of opening a swimming school. Three years later he built a new
facility in North Hollywood, California. Kris helped establish age group
swimming in Southern California and his swim school swimmers won many
championships and set national records. In 1959, Kristenson was appointed
Women’s Swim Coach for the Pan American team. Three of his swimmers made
the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team. Kristenson was a model coach and swim school
owner.

Franics Lieber –
Francis Leiber opened the first swim school in America July 23, 1827.
Lieber was born in Berlin and immigrated to America when a Boston
gymnasium employed him. Lieber also focused on establishing a swim school,
but at the time swimming was a lavish recreation and the school was not
successful. Lieber’s school was praised time and again by such visitors
as President John Quincy Adams and Audubon as well as the Massachusetts
Human Society. His swim school founding and continued efforts paved the
way for such organizations as the YMCA and the American Red Cross.

Doris Maxwell – Doris Maxwell and
husband Mel built their swim school business beginning in 1965 in Santa
Ana, California. While many other schools were similarly launched in the
1950’s very few have survived and developed like Blue Buoy Swim School.
In the beginning, Maxwell taught and ran the office but, after ten years,
she concentrated on management to better manage and grow the business.
Routinely she’s the first one in the office and the last to leave the
office at the end of the day. This has brought Blue Buoy past its 40th
anniversary and into a special place in swim school history led by Doris
Maxwell.

Melvin Maxwell – Melvin Maxwell and
wife Doris built Blue Buoy Swim School in Santa Ana, California in 1956.
They started with two or more rented locations and in 1965 built a
two-pool dream school in Tustin. Maxwell believed in teaching in warm
water and stressed the teacher’s ability to build rapport with each
student as the beginning of the road to success. Few others have
understood the swim school business as well or experienced the challenges
and continued success as the Maxwells did. The Santa Ana and Tustin
locations together operated for 30 years. He held national records for
butterfly as a Masters swimmer in the 60-64 age group.

Virginia Hunt Newman – Virginia
Newman a competitive diver and swimmer originally from Indianapolis,
Indiana began teaching children to swim in 1950 in Los Angeles. In 1962,
one of her two-year old students became the youngest in the history of the
American Red Cross to complete the beginner’s skill test. Virginia wrote
Teaching An Infant To Swim in 1967. Through her book, appearances
on national television, and presentations to a variety of swim
professionals, she influenced many thousands of students, parents, and
teachers. Virginia is also honored in the International Swimming Hall of
Fame in Florida.

Betty Perkins
– Betty Perkins was the only American woman to have coached a Men’s
and Women’s Olympic Diving Team from the country of Turkey (Montreal
1976). Perkins opened her School of Swimming and Diving in 1959 from her
backyard pool. It was in 1964 that she built the indoor pool that began
Perkins Swim Club. Five years later, Perkins founded Fit by Five
Pre-School teaching sports and swimming to 21/2 to 5 year old children.
Perkins is also the award-winning author of How to Prevent Falls and
The Fun of Fitness.

David H. Robertson – Dave Robertson,
long time Illinois coach and teacher, has been honored by 17 different
swim organizations and is in six Hall of Fames including the International
Swimming Hall of Fame. He used, and further advanced, the "station
method" of teaching swimming in his year round swim schools at New
Trier and Waubaunsee High Schools (1950’s-80’s). He spoke often to
aquatic professional organizations on swim school development and
management. Robertson did much to advance the swim school name and shaped
school organization and routines used in management and teaching. More

Crystal Scarborough – Crystal
Scarborough was an accomplished teacher and honored aquatic professional
in Jacsonville, Florida in the 1920’s and 30’s working for the city.
In 1938, her 9-month-old daughter appeared in Ripley’s Believe It or Not
going off the diving board and swimming. In the early 1940’s, Crystal
moved to Los Angeles and taught movie stars and their children at the
Ambassador Hotel. In 1951, at age 47 she built her swimming school in West
Los Angeles and over the next 28 became world famous for teaching babies
– often appearing on television and the national magazines of the day.

Ray and Zada Taft
– Ray and Zada Taft grew up in the San Francisco Bay area, swam
competitively at the Crystal Plunge and married in 1941. Ray taught
swimming and diving at the Olympic Club in San Francisco for the next14
years. In 1955, using the GI Bill loan program, they constructed a swim
school pool in San Mateo. Ray Taft taught and Zada ran the office. Their
philosophy was to have fun and build enjoyment of swimming as a lifelong
activity. Ray and Zada lived that love of swimming by continuing to be
outstanding Masters Competitive swimmers. Taft Swim School – going
strong today for over 40 years.

A love of teaching swimming, infectious
enthusiasm and unparalleled commitment are at the heart of Jan Thomas'
contribution to the swimming world.

At the age of 18 Jan left her childhood home of Wolsey, South Dakota to
train at the LA Athletic Club. While training, she also taught for
both Jen Loven and NSSA Hall of Fame inductee, Crystal Scarborough,
pioneers of infant swimming.

But in 1958, Jan hung her own shingle in Fresno, California.
Within a short time it was clear that Jan's avocation would rapidly become
a successful business.

As the Jan Thomas Swim School expanded, Jan developed a unique teaching
method - combining love and discipline in the proper proportion to create
the undeniable elixir of personal success in each of her students.
Jan instills in her swimmers the dream of accomplishment, generously
shares her enthusiastic support and confidence in her swimmers' potential,
and wraps them each in an abundance of love for unparalleled success.

Jan infectious enthusiasm, love and commitment have resulted in more
than 55,000 new swimmers. The Jan Thomas Swim School currently
employs 36 employees in her summer program to teach approximately 2,000
swimmers and give approximately 15,000 lessons. But perhaps the
greatest testament to Jan and her contribution is the loyalty of her
teachers and students. Having been a part of Jan's extraordinary
program, Jan's teachers consistently return year after year, some fro as
many as 30 years. Jan's swimmers also consistently return and in
such great numbers that Jan's teachers' schedules fro an entire summer are
booked within weeks of opening registration.

Jan deeply believes in the benefits of membership in NSSA. Jan is
a founding director of the National Swim School Association. In
addition to being a regular motivational speaker in her community, Jan has
been a regular speaker at, and contributor to, programs, articles and
other activities of NSSA. Jan readily credits NSSA for raising the
standards of excellence in the swim school industry at large and
significantly contributing to the success of all swim school owner
members.